Map the Block › Places › North Carolina › Swain County
What are the crime rate and median income in Swain County, North Carolina?
FBI reports put Swain County at 2.8 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 28% lower than the rate for North Carolina (3.8). Households here have a median income of $52,349 and the unemployment rate was 3.0% in August 2026. About 14,013 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Swain County?
From 2021 through 2025, Swain County averaged 211 reported violent crimes a year, along with 458 property crimes. That is 2.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 28% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8), and 24% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). For property crime the county rate is 17.2 per 1,000 (North Carolina: 20.0; U.S.: 18.1). Most violent crimes here are aggravated assaults (90%). CDC death records show about 1 homicide deaths a year in the county (10.1 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Swain County | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 211 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 1 | 0.01 | 0.08 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 18 | 0.24 | 0.29 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.03 | 0.51 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 189 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 458 | 17.2 | 20.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 133 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 283 | 3.7 | 14.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 42 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (3 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Swain County?
Median household income is $52,349, 28% lower than the statewide figure ($72,388). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $207,000 by its owners; renters pay a median $742. 14.7% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 193 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Swain County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,013 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $52,349 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $207,000 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $742 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 7.6% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 19.1% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 14.7% | 12.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 21.4% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 72.7% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 42.6 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 77.3% | 90.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 23.8% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Swain County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Swain County as “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Swain County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
Swain County has 10 dams classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. 4 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 3 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Fontana Dam (480 ft) and Bryson City Water Supply Dam (75 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
1 facility in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 1 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Swain County was covered by 2 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Tropical Storm 1, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 6 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate).
Is there road construction in Swain County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 1 highway work zone in Swain County (active that day). Listed roads include US 129. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Swain County?
Federal school lists show 9 public and 2 private schools in the county. 2 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 5 fire or EMS stations and 2 police or sheriff stations.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Swain County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Swain County: Qualla Boundary and Off-Reservation Trust Land. 3 ancient or sacred sites are on the map here: Kituwa, Kuwohi and Oconaluftee (Great Smoky Mountains). Many are sacred to living communities, so visit respectfully and follow posted rules.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands · sacred sites →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Swain County
Gun shops
No gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Swain County. There are 2 licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown).
Liquor stores
One liquor store is on the map in Swain County: Town of Bryson City ABC Store (Bryson City). North Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Swain County on the map.
See them on the map: liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Swain County?
Swain County averaged 211 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.8 per 1,000 residents, 28% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8). The property-crime rate was 17.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Swain County?
$52,349 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Swain County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 193 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Swain County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Swain County as “Relatively Low”. None of the seven hazards on our map (floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat, earthquakes, hurricanes) is rated above “Relatively Moderate” here.
Is there road construction in Swain County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 1 highway work zone in Swain County (active that day). Listed roads include US 129.
How many nursing homes are in Swain County?
2 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Swain County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blount County, TN | 139,333 | 2.8 | $77,365 |
| Graham County | 8,072 | 3.0 | $49,684 |
| Haywood County | 62,662 | 2.4 | $61,912 |
| Jackson County | 43,771 | 2.4 | $55,815 |
| Macon County | 37,941 | 1.2 | $59,061 |
| Sevier County, TN | 99,652 | 3.3 | $62,581 |
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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